It wasn’t really that long ago that Perth’s Nic Rollo set his sights upon the world of music, but in such a short time, he’s managed to become one of the slickest and most exciting artists on the scene.
Having released a number of singles across the last year, this month has seen the release of ‘Monster’, a tune that Nic Rollo has been living with for quite some time.
“‘Monster’ was written during a previous relationship of mine when things were a bit shaky,” he explained. “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 instead.”
Paired with an eerie music video, it’s an immersive watch that leaves you with a deeper insight into the track’s content. To celebrate the release of the new tune, we had a chat with Nic Rollo to learn more about his music, what’s on the cards, and everything else you need to know.
Check out ‘Monster’ by Nic Rollo:
How did your artist name come about?
I wish there was some exciting story of me slaving away for three weeks, trying to come up with the perfect name for this project, but unfortunately it’s just my real name. Before Nic Rollo I sang and wrote a lot of the music for a small indie rock band in Perth, but as time went by the music was becoming less and less ‘band suited’ and more and more for a solo artist.
I think using my own name gave me the ability to control where I could go musically and also allows the project to live on, whereas in a band if a member leaves it can be pretty disruptive.
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How would you describe your music to your grandma?
Super amazing music that’ll get you dancing in one second and make you happy for your entire life. Ha, I wish. I’d describe it as introspective pop music that uses both digital and analogue/real sounds, with influences from older bands like Tears For Fears and newer more current acts (that she probably doesn’t know of).
Tell us about a few of your tracks; their titles and what they’re about?
Well, first off there’s my most recent song ‘Monster’. The song is about saying things that you don’t necessarily mean or things that you regret. It was written during a fairly turbulent time in a previous relationship where I was saying things that caused unnecessarily conflict.
The line in the chorus “there’s a monster behind my teeth” is referring to speaking, and the harm speaking can sometimes cause.
‘Where You Wanted To Be’ – This is an unreleased song. It was written in relation to a certain person who I used to be close with that was existing in a fairly unpleasant circumstance, but one that was largely their fault.
They were good at blaming other people for it, and never really took ownership for their problems. The chorus line “Is this really where you wanted to be?”, is questioning it in a fairly aggressive way (it’s very chanty with lots of Nic’s singing it at once).
‘Show Me What Hurts ‘– This track is a type of love song that is about being vulnerable with those that you love, and how being vulnerable is simultaneously super rewarding, yet scary and potentially self sabotaging (if the other person uses it against you).
I recorded this song at the same time that I recorded ‘Monster’, but I released it last year with my EP. The title is about showing your flaws, vulnerabilities and insecurities to those that you love, it’s usually worth the risk.
What do you love about your hometown?
Perth is such a sleepy town, even on a ‘busy’ day it’s pretty relaxed compared to other cities. The weather is also really nice and the beaches are good (not that I really go to the beach; I burn in two minutes).
Check out ‘Feel’ by Nic Rollo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K86pTPM30M
Career highlight so far?
One of my last releases ‘Feel’ got added to a Spotify editorial playlist and received airplay in the UK and US, which was pretty exciting! I also played my first show over in Sydney at the end of last year which was good fun.
On a more recent note, ‘Monster’ has been getting such positive feedback over the past week which makes me so happy, it’s one of my favourite songs that I’ve written.
Fave non-music hobby?
That’s a tough one, I feel like so much of my existence is music. It’s probably drinking coffee, playing with my cat, or taking photos.
What’s on your dream rider?
A burrito, beer and free wifi… maybe puppies too.
Dream music collaboration?
Honestly, at the moment doing a song with somebody like Sam Fender would be pretty incredible, his most recent album has been on repeat a lot over the past few months.
I definitely want to work with some more producers and electronic artists over the next few years, it’d be cool doing a song with the likes of RÜFÜS DU SOL or Madeon.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Either doing stadium tours or sleeping in a bin on the side of the road, hopefully the former. My goal is, in one way or another, to be in the music industry for at least the foreseeable future.
Whether that’s as an artist, producer/songwriter, manager, or some other role is a different matter entirely. I guess I’ll see what happens over the next few years!
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
‘Drops Of Jupiter’, by Train. 100%, it’s a 10/10 song.
What’s on the cards for the future?
Aside from running for US President in 2025 (just kidding), a lot of music releases and hopefully a lot of touring and playing shows. I have soo many songs banked up at the moment, and I’m planning on recording more soon.
You’ll probably be annoyed at me within the next few years from too many releases. Something that’s more a short term goal is to do more collaborations with other artists and producers, so that’s something I’ll definitely be working towards over the next few months.
Check out ‘Show Me What Hurts’ by Nic Rollo:
