Episode Transcript
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colleyc (00:27):
Season five and oh, do I have a great show to start
season five off.
Half is yours and half is mine.
Bit before we hopped on here,but, nico, thanks so much for
hopping on here and sharing someof your thoughts about your
(01:06):
music and life in general.
Niko (01:08):
we'll say yeah, thanks for having me, Chris.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yeah, it's so great, Nico.
I always love to kind of get alittle history in these
conversations.
What were some moments that yourecall from your early
childhood?
Niko (01:26):
that where music really was there and present and you
felt it and you felt like thisis something that speaks to me
um, I mean like in the earliestsense, like I mean I remember
when I was like one of my firstconscious moments was when I was
like eight and I went to seeLove in Las Vegas.
(01:48):
The Beatles play.
And, being an eight-year-old,seeing that I was like and never
really listened to the Beatlesreally much before then, and
that is what really got mepassionate about music.
For one reason or another,really hit and then just listen
to music in the car with a momand dad and just the stuff they
like.
You know, they like the classicstuff.
(02:09):
You know a lot of like, justlike Beatles by Marley, led
Zeppelin, all the classic stuff.
And then as I got older, likemiddle school, I found like a
friend group that was passionateabout music, started playing in
a cover band and so we'd coversome of these songs and also
like new ones at the time youknow, like 2000s hits, like
float on and like steady as shegoes and that kind of stuff, um,
(02:33):
and so I kind of just like andthen like, yeah, from that point
on it was just like connectingwith friends, um, and sharing
music and kind of like likewho's got the next like cool
band to listen to?
Because at that time there waslike a new one every week that
we discovered.
So yeah, that's kind of how itstarts.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
And did you start playing guitar very young as
well?
In high school Was it that youstarted playing guitar?
colleyc (02:59):
Was that?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
your first instrument ?
I guess I should ask first.
Niko (03:02):
I started on piano when I was like really young and then
quit, um, like most kids, andthen I went to I played drums in
these like bands, um coverbands, until like high school.
Um, I started in like fifthgrade with drums and I always
just played a little guitar justlike right, but I never I
didn't play a live show playingguitar until maybe like junior
(03:22):
year of high school.
Um, so guitar was never reallyat the forefront for me.
I really only took up guitarfor the point of songwriting, um
, but now I, you know, loveguitar for many reasons, but
it's always just kind of beenlike a reason to be able to
write songs because I couldn'ton drums right, right.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
and what do you remember?
Some of those first songs thatyou penned, you know, early,
kind of like journalistic, I'msure, like let's try some out.
Like, can you?
Can you share a bit of thosefirst tunes that you put
together?
Niko (03:56):
I mean, like I feel, like a lot of people like growing up
now, like it was all GarageBandand it was all loops.
Basically it would be like liveloops to make songsand and it
was all loops.
Basically it would be like liveloops to make songs, just
because I was doing it allmyself.
I would be in my parents'basement, I had a recording
setup down there.
I could record guitar, I haddrums, I had an 8-input Motu 896
(04:24):
that my uncle lended to me andso I just used that and recorded
that stuff for a while and itwould just be kind of like loop
stuff and it was just like yearsof just doing stuff on my own,
trying to figure out like whatmy like you know voice could be
and like what I wanted to do andit was, you know, like most all
very derivative for a long timebut very useful and necessary
(04:47):
absolutely.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
You know, I've talked to so many artists and those
are some of their key moments iswhen they got that four track
or that eight track and theystarted to be able to layer, you
know, stuff on top of oneanother, um, which really
started to transform how they,you, you know how their musical
careers, you know, would be thetrajectory of it.
And you kind of mentionedsomething about your voice.
(05:10):
Like was it hard to find yourvoice?
Like was that a tricky processthat you had to go through?
Did it come pretty naturally toyou?
Niko (05:18):
Definitely.
I mean I always I would justsing for the sake of singing
again, just like write songs, Imean in terms of just singing
voice.
That just took singing live fora long time, as opposed to
songwriting voice.
That took even longer probably.
I feel like it wasn't untilthis most recent record where I
(05:40):
kind of really realized where Icould write music that I really
just felt like myself and that'salways kind of really realized
like where I could write musicthat really just felt like
myself, um, and that's alwayskind of been the goal, um.
But yeah, I mean that took, youknow, seven, eight years of
writing songs to actually findthat amazing and tell me a
little bit about yourcollaboration with Bailey.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Like she's your, your drummer, right that that plays.
Do you guys co-write together,or is it pretty much you bring
the songs in, or she'll bring asong and you'll collaborate Like
she's your drummer, right, thatplays?
Do you guys co -write together,or is it pretty much you bring
the songs in or she'll bring asong and you'll collaborate
together, or do you actuallywrite songs together?
Niko (06:12):
Well.
So as of now, we'll talk aboutfuture stuff.
But it's much more, much morecollaborative now, and even with
other band members.
But this last record was kindof like I would have a song
written on guitar or piano andhave the vocal for it, bring it
to Bailey and Luke at the timeand everyone would arrange their
parts for the most part, andthat's how this record and stuff
(06:36):
before that went.
Now it's kind of like theopposite.
I feel like it happens a lot ofthe time now because, like you
know, before, like the 2010s,when there was no garage band or
like stuff like that or logicand stuff um, it would be going
from like a four track and likeyou doing stuff with a band and
then being like oh, we can layerstuff, we can do all this stuff
.
Versus for me, it always feltlike there was unlimited.
(06:59):
I could record hundreds oftracks on garage band at a time,
which honestly made it harderto find a voice.
And now we're writing stuffwhere it's like this next record
, we want to go in to be able torecord it all pretty much live.
It's almost going the oppositetrajectory, just fighting
against what you started with,because it's just more fun to
(07:21):
record like that too.
It's more fun to play with theband.
It's in a room.
All the old records that I lovesound the way they do.
It's because they were all justplaying together in a room.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
I I read too somewhere that, um, you had said, after you guys
recorded some of the, some ofthe songs off of the record that
came out in 2024, where we'vebeen in and where we go from
here that that the emotionssometimes were so overwhelming
(07:55):
that it would end in tears.
Can you paint us that picture,a little bit of of of that
experience, of theoverwhelmingness of of getting
yourselves down on on tape?
Niko (08:06):
Yeah, I feel like that specific story was where we've
been.
The song it didn't have theending refrain where we all sing
the where we've been, where wego from here, that whole part.
It was like we were doing a fewtakes and didn't feel right.
And our producer, scott, andJack, who produced the record
(08:26):
and engineer it, scott, came inthe room and was like the song
doesn't feel done and you knowwe were recording the album.
So it's like what the hell isthat man?
And so we kind of just sat onit for a second.
It was already very emotionaland like we're just like all
right, let's just try it.
Like Bailey will go dramatic,like and we just did that and I
(08:47):
was yelling, you know I wasyelling stuff over the top of it
and it was just it felt likeeverything just kind of like
called us to that that momentand we just kind of all broke
down and especially because thatwas the first time we played it
that way, so it was like it wasreal.
That's kind of like the momenta new door opening.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Yeah, totally, oh, that's so amazing, yeah yeah,
definitely those, uh, thosemoments say two together as a
group, and you know a bunch ofhumans, coming with different
ideas and experiences, justcolliding together it sounds
like wow.
Niko (09:20):
It's what you hope all the like hours you put in can lead
to.
Like one moment of that, likeevery couple years.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Absolutely.
And how is it for you now, likeyou launched this record that
was much anticipated.
I mean it got amazing reviewsand I mean it's just a fantastic
record from start to finish.
How do you kind of look back onit now a little bit with that
distance, like, do you see it ina different way than than than
(09:48):
when you were inundated in it,when you were just, you know,
listening to over and over andover?
Has that distance given in adifferent way than when you were
inundated in it, when you werejust listening to it over and
over and over?
Has that distance given you adifferent perspective on what
you created?
Niko (09:57):
Yeah, I mean we're actually playing a DIY show this
Saturday in Chicago becauseit's the one-year anniversary of
the record.
So I have definitely thoughtabout that a little more than
usual.
I mean, it changed my life, itchanged our lives, you know,
completely, even though you knowand like in like a indie music
kind of way and like it wasn't ahuge thing, but for us it was
(10:20):
and it it kind of made the wholelike music is like a thing you
can do for your life.
Things seem actuallyconceivable versus like it was
just a complete dream before.
Um, and just getting, like youknow, playing europe, playing
japan, china, it's like it'slike things we like were, like
(10:40):
you know, only dreamed of.
And um, looking back the record,it's like very, I just like
objectively like fond of it nowas like just what it is and,
like you know, I'm notcritiquing like any like guitar
sounds or anything like thatanymore.
It now as like just what it isand, like you know, I'm not
critiquing like any like guitarsounds or anything like that
anymore.
It's just like I can see itobjectively for what it is and
be like this was a reallyimportant thing for us and you
know, going forward from it now,but um, I'll always.
(11:03):
Definitely it'll be a specialplace in my heart, for sure for
sure, for sure.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
And, nico, did you have that sense when you were so
in it?
Like, did you, did you?
Did you guys feel like you werecreating something that was
going to be special, that it itwas sounded different, it
combined a lot of differentstyles, it was very individual
to you guys?
Did you feel that, when you'rekind of writing these songs and
assembling them?
Niko (11:29):
yeah, I mean it felt it.
It felt it.
There were moments like thewhere I've been moment or, like
you know, we were tracking theguitars for like crashing
through and I would, I was justme and Jack and we were like we
had just like done a long day ofrecording.
We're like, damn this, there'slike something feels special
about this.
You know there's it's justmoments of like intense, um
(11:52):
catharsis and I was like there'sgot to be something to this.
But, like you know, for themajority of it, you know, after
we recorded, we mixed it for,like because we mixed it pretty
much ourselves for like hundredsof hours, like it was so much
learning because we didn't wehaven't mixed it, like jack does
mixing and like now has muchmore experience doing that, but
like at the time we were all sonew to it, we were just doing
ourselves.
It was like it was just like.
It was just angst and it waslike a lot of just like sadness
(12:14):
and like you know.
So it wasn't.
There were moments of feelingit, but like there also was
mostly just like being in theangst of it for sure yeah, no,
that's so cool.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
And how, like if you had to kind of describe this
record in a theme like, what arethe themes that tend to come
out for you or were coming outwhen you're writing these songs
that you turned into songs?
Niko (12:50):
like I mean, it was like because of how often felt
defeated, like I was working afull-time job in like a
warehouse still at the timemaking this record, and so I was
doing that and then, you know,covid was happening and everyone
around was like feeling thesame way, and so it was very
like.
It was very like feelingdefeated but trying to, you know
, use this as like the one thingthat we can like make something
like make it feel better.
(13:11):
Um, and so that was that wasthe main overarching theme of
just like everybody was feelingso low and like you know, it's
happening again, it's alwayshappening.
It's kind of just like how toget that joy and catharsis
amount of like the like deepfeeling of sadness kind of.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
it's not that specific, but no, I mean, that's
I love it.
I love it.
You know, one of the songs that, um, I just can't stop
listening to is until I'm withyou again.
Um, because you do have thesefast, slow, fast.
Like a lot of your songs have akind of feel structure and this
(13:51):
one feels like you held allthat back and delivered this
like I don't know the mostheartwarming song that I've
heard in a long time.
Um, with that song particular,do you remember writing that
song?
Do you remember the idea thatthen turned into the song?
Niko (14:10):
Yeah, I mean, that was one of those songs that was like it
kind of sounds like it, but itwas like written in one night,
because it was.
I always think of that song.
It's like a kindergartner couldplay it and like I love that.
I love songs that like yeah itwas.
I mean I was on the.
I was on, like that.
colleyc (14:50):
Yeah, I'll run, I'll fight, I'll sail the night, I'll
tuck your sheets beneath myfeet, beneath my feet Until I'm
(15:12):
with you again.
Remember this, my friend, thatI'll be with you again.
I know it's hard, my friend.
I laugh, I plead, I scream.
Niko (15:45):
I laugh, I plead.
I was writing in real time andwe were just sitting out there.
It was a real nice moment forsure.
And it was nice becausesometimes songs like that that
you don't really have to worktoo hard on, it's real nice to
have those sometimes.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Yeah, that's when it felt very natural and just kind
of flowed out of you.
I was so curious about how thatprocess of that song came to be
.
So, nico me like in retrospecta little bit.
I mean, things happened reallyquickly.
Um, what were some of thoselike poignant moments that
(16:21):
really amped all this up to to?
I heard that, um, the, thefestival, uh, bonaro was, was
one of your, like, best weekendsof your life.
Niko (16:31):
You described it yeah, I mean that was just fun from like
a friend, like we were just allhanging and having a good time.
I mean we were playing, we were, we played a couple shows and
they were all like the smalleststages in front of like 40, 50
people.
So it wasn't like it definitelywasn't career changing, but it
was.
It was just really fun.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Yeah, yeah, no-transcript.
Niko (16:59):
I feel like we first really felt that at the Metro
release show in Chicago, becausethat was the first time playing
in front of a full room of1,000 people who were there to
see us.
We've always loved that venueand watched so many videos of
bands passing through and stuff,so that was just so cool.
I feel like it was like.
I feel like the shows like inAsia were craziest because a
(17:26):
culture that we neverexperienced in person, and it
also just feels so different thefact that, like when we played
Fuji Rock in Japan and that waslike it was it was like 8,000,
you know, people were.
It was like the biggest stage,like the killers were playing
that stage last night.
We had no idea how we werethere and we we just I don't
remember any part of that show,but, like you know, people were
(17:49):
clapping, sing along.
That was just like so trippy.
I think the most emotionalmoment, though, was china and
shenzhen, with people singingalong like some lyrics, because,
like it's not a politicalrecord in like a front sense,
but there's a lot of like youknow, there's a lot of charges,
speak on a lot of that stuff,and like just being in china and
, like you know we have a lot ofsame issues the us as china
(18:12):
does and all these, all thecountries do right now but it's,
it was just like felt different, especially because china was a
place we never, ever thoughtwe'd play music in.
Right, that was like the lastplace we'd ever think we'd get
to play it was amazing.
The people were amazing, thefood, the everything.
So that was definitely that was.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
That must be special too, like going to a country
that you know is so culturallydiverse than what we're, what
we're used to, and they're allsinging along to your songs.
That's amazing yeah music rightthere, right like for sure.
It's crazy, the universallanguage that that that just
happens because of of what itcan do to us as people it's very
(18:55):
inspiring.
Yeah, yeah, very cool yeah so,nico, to kind of wrap this up
again, thanks so much.
This has been a real treat toto talk with you and kind of
hear your story.
I mean really uh fascinating.
What, what, what, what's comingdown in in 2025 for uh frico,
what's up?
Niko (19:13):
yeah, I mean anyway, yeah, we're working really hard on
new music and we're gonna be inlike the middle of the year
going to be recording anotherrecord, yeah, and just excited
Because we've been I mean, thisrecord's only been out for a
year, but the debut record we'vebeen playing it out for years
now, two or three years.
So we're very ready to have anext thing.
(19:37):
And, like I was always saying,with the first record, we kind
of realized what we were in themiddle of it and then got a
little bit lucky that it allworked out in the end, um, but
like this record, we get tostart kind of knowing, um, the
kind of thing that we want tomake, um.
So I'm really excited to forpeople to hear it.
And, yeah, we're in the roadagain in the spring or in like a
(19:59):
couple weeks.
Yeah, canada and the us for thenext like couple months.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Yeah right on, right on, and could you give us a
little window into the newrecord is are you, are you going
for something differentsounding or are you maintaining
staying close to your roots fromthe first?
Niko (20:19):
it's definitely.
There's definitely likedifference in sound and like
some of the ways, but I think itis meant to be even like from
the album cover idea to likeit's meant to be like a
continuation, slash, cap, um,the first record since that
since, because I felt like werealized in the middle of first
record, none of it was like itwas like realizing what we were,
(20:39):
and like the second record'slike putting a staple on that
and like like you know it, Idon't.
I don't feel like it's time forus to like shift completely.
It feels like it's like time tolike just lock down on like a
bunch of songs that just makesense and can like get through
it.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Yeah, and were the songs that are coming off the
new record?
You started writing those likein 2024, or are they also a
compilation from you know pastyears?
Niko (21:08):
for the most part it's after 2024.
A lot of songs.
You know much more songs about.
You know travel related and youknow hot air balloons and
planes and because there's a lotof traveling is yeah, yeah, I'm
very excited for it right on,right on.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Well, I wish you all the best.
Um.
Thanks for putting this recordout.
It is it's been one of myfavorite listens in a while, so
I really appreciate it and Ireally hope I'll get to run into
you when you come throughmontreal.
Um yeah, I look forward toseeing you guys that energy on
stage.
Niko (21:44):
Yeah, that's cool yeah, please come say hi thanks for
having me yeah, thanks, so muchSickness Brought you to your
parents.
colleyc (22:06):
A life of only errands Won't make her full of love, and
your teeth hurt more than Thanthe day before.
It's time to get another job.
Four feet between a wall and adome, break your wife for widow,
(22:34):
so throw the gun with the round.
With the round blade.
The truth is hard to tell.
So we'll be waiting here tillsundown.
(22:57):
Save the hope that comes.
Now We'll stand away from it.
For me, between a wall and astone, four feet between the
(23:25):
walls, don't make sure I move iton.
Don't throw your heart.
Don't make me feel like I'm in,watch it.
I feel like I'm in.
Don't throw your heart.
And it feels good.
(23:59):
Where we've been, where we gofrom here, I let it all slip
away.
Where we've been, where we gofrom here, I let it all slip
away.
Season five and oh, do I have a great show to start
season five off.
Half is yours and half is mine.
Bit before we hopped on here,but, nico, thanks so much for
hopping on here and sharing someof your thoughts about your
(01:06):
music and life in general.
Niko (01:08):
we'll say yeah, thanks for having me, Chris.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yeah, it's so great, Nico.
I always love to kind of get alittle history in these
conversations.
What were some moments that yourecall from your early
childhood?
Niko (01:26):
that where music really was there and present and you
felt it and you felt like thisis something that speaks to me
um, I mean like in the earliestsense, like I mean I remember
when I was like one of my firstconscious moments was when I was
like eight and I went to seeLove in Las Vegas.
(01:48):
The Beatles play.
And, being an eight-year-old,seeing that I was like and never
really listened to the Beatlesreally much before then, and
that is what really got mepassionate about music.
For one reason or another,really hit and then just listen
to music in the car with a momand dad and just the stuff they
like.
You know, they like the classicstuff.
(02:09):
You know a lot of like, justlike Beatles by Marley, led
Zeppelin, all the classic stuff.
And then as I got older, likemiddle school, I found like a
friend group that was passionateabout music, started playing in
a cover band and so we'd coversome of these songs and also
like new ones at the time youknow, like 2000s hits, like
float on and like steady as shegoes and that kind of stuff, um,
(02:33):
and so I kind of just like andthen like, yeah, from that point
on it was just like connectingwith friends, um, and sharing
music and kind of like likewho's got the next like cool
band to listen to?
Because at that time there waslike a new one every week that
we discovered.
So yeah, that's kind of how itstarts.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
And did you start playing guitar very young as
well?
In high school Was it that youstarted playing guitar?
colleyc (02:59):
Was that?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
your first instrument ?
I guess I should ask first.
Niko (03:02):
I started on piano when I was like really young and then
quit, um, like most kids, andthen I went to I played drums in
these like bands, um coverbands, until like high school.
Um, I started in like fifthgrade with drums and I always
just played a little guitar justlike right, but I never I
didn't play a live show playingguitar until maybe like junior
(03:22):
year of high school.
Um, so guitar was never reallyat the forefront for me.
I really only took up guitarfor the point of songwriting, um
, but now I, you know, loveguitar for many reasons, but
it's always just kind of beenlike a reason to be able to
write songs because I couldn'ton drums right, right.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
and what do you remember?
Some of those first songs thatyou penned, you know, early,
kind of like journalistic, I'msure, like let's try some out.
Like, can you?
Can you share a bit of thosefirst tunes that you put
together?
Niko (03:56):
I mean, like I feel, like a lot of people like growing up
now, like it was all GarageBandand it was all loops.
Basically it would be like liveloops to make songsand and it
was all loops.
Basically it would be like liveloops to make songs, just
because I was doing it allmyself.
I would be in my parents'basement, I had a recording
setup down there.
I could record guitar, I haddrums, I had an 8-input Motu 896
(04:24):
that my uncle lended to me andso I just used that and recorded
that stuff for a while and itwould just be kind of like loop
stuff and it was just like yearsof just doing stuff on my own,
trying to figure out like whatmy like you know voice could be
and like what I wanted to do andit was, you know, like most all
very derivative for a long timebut very useful and necessary
(04:47):
absolutely.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
You know, I've talked to so many artists and those
are some of their key moments iswhen they got that four track
or that eight track and theystarted to be able to layer, you
know, stuff on top of oneanother, um, which really
started to transform how they,you, you know how their musical
careers, you know, would be thetrajectory of it.
And you kind of mentionedsomething about your voice.
(05:10):
Like was it hard to find yourvoice?
Like was that a tricky processthat you had to go through?
Did it come pretty naturally toyou?
Niko (05:18):
Definitely.
I mean I always I would justsing for the sake of singing
again, just like write songs, Imean in terms of just singing
voice.
That just took singing live fora long time, as opposed to
songwriting voice.
That took even longer probably.
I feel like it wasn't untilthis most recent record where I
(05:40):
kind of really realized where Icould write music that I really
just felt like myself and that'salways kind of really realized
like where I could write musicthat really just felt like
myself, um, and that's alwayskind of been the goal, um.
But yeah, I mean that took, youknow, seven, eight years of
writing songs to actually findthat amazing and tell me a
little bit about yourcollaboration with Bailey.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Like she's your, your drummer, right that that plays.
Do you guys co-write together,or is it pretty much you bring
the songs in, or she'll bring asong and you'll collaborate Like
she's your drummer, right, thatplays?
Do you guys co -write together,or is it pretty much you bring
the songs in or she'll bring asong and you'll collaborate
together, or do you actuallywrite songs together?
Niko (06:12):
Well.
So as of now, we'll talk aboutfuture stuff.
But it's much more, much morecollaborative now, and even with
other band members.
But this last record was kindof like I would have a song
written on guitar or piano andhave the vocal for it, bring it
to Bailey and Luke at the timeand everyone would arrange their
parts for the most part, andthat's how this record and stuff
(06:36):
before that went.
Now it's kind of like theopposite.
I feel like it happens a lot ofthe time now because, like you
know, before, like the 2010s,when there was no garage band or
like stuff like that or logicand stuff um, it would be going
from like a four track and likeyou doing stuff with a band and
then being like oh, we can layerstuff, we can do all this stuff
.
Versus for me, it always feltlike there was unlimited.
(06:59):
I could record hundreds oftracks on garage band at a time,
which honestly made it harderto find a voice.
And now we're writing stuffwhere it's like this next record
, we want to go in to be able torecord it all pretty much live.
It's almost going the oppositetrajectory, just fighting
against what you started with,because it's just more fun to
(07:21):
record like that too.
It's more fun to play with theband.
It's in a room.
All the old records that I lovesound the way they do.
It's because they were all justplaying together in a room.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
I I read too somewhere that, um, you had said, after you guys
recorded some of the, some ofthe songs off of the record that
came out in 2024, where we'vebeen in and where we go from
here that that the emotionssometimes were so overwhelming
(07:55):
that it would end in tears.
Can you paint us that picture,a little bit of of of that
experience, of theoverwhelmingness of of getting
yourselves down on on tape?
Niko (08:06):
Yeah, I feel like that specific story was where we've
been.
The song it didn't have theending refrain where we all sing
the where we've been, where wego from here, that whole part.
It was like we were doing a fewtakes and didn't feel right.
And our producer, scott, andJack, who produced the record
(08:26):
and engineer it, scott, came inthe room and was like the song
doesn't feel done and you knowwe were recording the album.
So it's like what the hell isthat man?
And so we kind of just sat onit for a second.
It was already very emotionaland like we're just like all
right, let's just try it.
Like Bailey will go dramatic,like and we just did that and I
(08:47):
was yelling, you know I wasyelling stuff over the top of it
and it was just it felt likeeverything just kind of like
called us to that that momentand we just kind of all broke
down and especially because thatwas the first time we played it
that way, so it was like it wasreal.
That's kind of like the momenta new door opening.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Yeah, totally, oh, that's so amazing, yeah yeah,
definitely those, uh, thosemoments say two together as a
group, and you know a bunch ofhumans, coming with different
ideas and experiences, justcolliding together it sounds
like wow.
Niko (09:20):
It's what you hope all the like hours you put in can lead
to.
Like one moment of that, likeevery couple years.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Absolutely.
And how is it for you now, likeyou launched this record that
was much anticipated.
I mean it got amazing reviewsand I mean it's just a fantastic
record from start to finish.
How do you kind of look back onit now a little bit with that
distance, like, do you see it ina different way than than than
(09:48):
when you were inundated in it,when you were just, you know,
listening to over and over andover?
Has that distance given in adifferent way than when you were
inundated in it, when you werejust listening to it over and
over and over?
Has that distance given you adifferent perspective on what
you created?
Niko (09:57):
Yeah, I mean we're actually playing a DIY show this
Saturday in Chicago becauseit's the one-year anniversary of
the record.
So I have definitely thoughtabout that a little more than
usual.
I mean, it changed my life, itchanged our lives, you know,
completely, even though you knowand like in like a indie music
kind of way and like it wasn't ahuge thing, but for us it was
(10:20):
and it it kind of made the wholelike music is like a thing you
can do for your life.
Things seem actuallyconceivable versus like it was
just a complete dream before.
Um, and just getting, like youknow, playing europe, playing
japan, china, it's like it'slike things we like were, like
(10:40):
you know, only dreamed of.
And um, looking back the record,it's like very, I just like
objectively like fond of it nowas like just what it is and,
like you know, I'm notcritiquing like any like guitar
sounds or anything like thatanymore.
It now as like just what it isand, like you know, I'm not
critiquing like any like guitarsounds or anything like that
anymore.
It's just like I can see itobjectively for what it is and
be like this was a reallyimportant thing for us and you
know, going forward from it now,but um, I'll always.
(11:03):
Definitely it'll be a specialplace in my heart, for sure for
sure, for sure.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
And, nico, did you have that sense when you were so
in it?
Like, did you, did you?
Did you guys feel like you werecreating something that was
going to be special, that it itwas sounded different, it
combined a lot of differentstyles, it was very individual
to you guys?
Did you feel that, when you'rekind of writing these songs and
assembling them?
Niko (11:29):
yeah, I mean it felt it.
It felt it.
There were moments like thewhere I've been moment or, like
you know, we were tracking theguitars for like crashing
through and I would, I was justme and Jack and we were like we
had just like done a long day ofrecording.
We're like, damn this, there'slike something feels special
about this.
You know there's it's justmoments of like intense, um
(11:52):
catharsis and I was like there'sgot to be something to this.
But, like you know, for themajority of it, you know, after
we recorded, we mixed it for,like because we mixed it pretty
much ourselves for like hundredsof hours, like it was so much
learning because we didn't wehaven't mixed it, like jack does
mixing and like now has muchmore experience doing that, but
like at the time we were all sonew to it, we were just doing
ourselves.
It was like it was just like.
It was just angst and it waslike a lot of just like sadness
(12:14):
and like you know.
So it wasn't.
There were moments of feelingit, but like there also was
mostly just like being in theangst of it for sure yeah, no,
that's so cool.
Speaker 2 (12:25):
And how, like if you had to kind of describe this
record in a theme like, what arethe themes that tend to come
out for you or were coming outwhen you're writing these songs
that you turned into songs?
Niko (12:50):
like I mean, it was like because of how often felt
defeated, like I was working afull-time job in like a
warehouse still at the timemaking this record, and so I was
doing that and then, you know,covid was happening and everyone
around was like feeling thesame way, and so it was very
like.
It was very like feelingdefeated but trying to, you know
, use this as like the one thingthat we can like make something
like make it feel better.
(13:11):
Um, and so that was that wasthe main overarching theme of
just like everybody was feelingso low and like you know, it's
happening again, it's alwayshappening.
It's kind of just like how toget that joy and catharsis
amount of like the like deepfeeling of sadness kind of.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
it's not that specific, but no, I mean, that's
I love it.
I love it.
You know, one of the songs that, um, I just can't stop
listening to is until I'm withyou again.
Um, because you do have thesefast, slow, fast.
Like a lot of your songs have akind of feel structure and this
(13:51):
one feels like you held allthat back and delivered this
like I don't know the mostheartwarming song that I've
heard in a long time.
Um, with that song particular,do you remember writing that
song?
Do you remember the idea thatthen turned into the song?
Niko (14:10):
Yeah, I mean, that was one of those songs that was like it
kind of sounds like it, but itwas like written in one night,
because it was.
I always think of that song.
It's like a kindergartner couldplay it and like I love that.
I love songs that like yeah itwas.
I mean I was on the.
I was on, like that.
colleyc (14:50):
Yeah, I'll run, I'll fight, I'll sail the night, I'll
tuck your sheets beneath myfeet, beneath my feet Until I'm
(15:12):
with you again.
Remember this, my friend, thatI'll be with you again.
I know it's hard, my friend.
I laugh, I plead, I scream.
Niko (15:45):
I laugh, I plead.
I was writing in real time andwe were just sitting out there.
It was a real nice moment forsure.
And it was nice becausesometimes songs like that that
you don't really have to worktoo hard on, it's real nice to
have those sometimes.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
Yeah, that's when it felt very natural and just kind
of flowed out of you.
I was so curious about how thatprocess of that song came to be
.
So, nico me like in retrospecta little bit.
I mean, things happened reallyquickly.
Um, what were some of thoselike poignant moments that
(16:21):
really amped all this up to to?
I heard that, um, the, thefestival, uh, bonaro was, was
one of your, like, best weekendsof your life.
Niko (16:31):
You described it yeah, I mean that was just fun from like
a friend, like we were just allhanging and having a good time.
I mean we were playing, we were, we played a couple shows and
they were all like the smalleststages in front of like 40, 50
people.
So it wasn't like it definitelywasn't career changing, but it
was.
It was just really fun.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
Yeah, yeah, no-transcript.
Niko (16:59):
I feel like we first really felt that at the Metro
release show in Chicago, becausethat was the first time playing
in front of a full room of1,000 people who were there to
see us.
We've always loved that venueand watched so many videos of
bands passing through and stuff,so that was just so cool.
I feel like it was like.
I feel like the shows like inAsia were craziest because a
(17:26):
culture that we neverexperienced in person, and it
also just feels so different thefact that, like when we played
Fuji Rock in Japan and that waslike it was it was like 8,000,
you know, people were.
It was like the biggest stage,like the killers were playing
that stage last night.
We had no idea how we werethere and we we just I don't
remember any part of that show,but, like you know, people were
(17:49):
clapping, sing along.
That was just like so trippy.
I think the most emotionalmoment, though, was china and
shenzhen, with people singingalong like some lyrics, because,
like it's not a politicalrecord in like a front sense,
but there's a lot of like youknow, there's a lot of charges,
speak on a lot of that stuff,and like just being in china and
, like you know we have a lot ofsame issues the us as china
(18:12):
does and all these, all thecountries do right now but it's,
it was just like felt different, especially because china was a
place we never, ever thoughtwe'd play music in.
Right, that was like the lastplace we'd ever think we'd get
to play it was amazing.
The people were amazing, thefood, the everything.
So that was definitely that was.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
That must be special too, like going to a country
that you know is so culturallydiverse than what we're, what
we're used to, and they're allsinging along to your songs.
That's amazing yeah music rightthere, right like for sure.
It's crazy, the universallanguage that that that just
happens because of of what itcan do to us as people it's very
(18:55):
inspiring.
Yeah, yeah, very cool yeah so,nico, to kind of wrap this up
again, thanks so much.
This has been a real treat toto talk with you and kind of
hear your story.
I mean really uh fascinating.
What, what, what, what's comingdown in in 2025 for uh frico,
what's up?
Niko (19:13):
yeah, I mean anyway, yeah, we're working really hard on
new music and we're gonna be inlike the middle of the year
going to be recording anotherrecord, yeah, and just excited
Because we've been I mean, thisrecord's only been out for a
year, but the debut record we'vebeen playing it out for years
now, two or three years.
So we're very ready to have anext thing.
(19:37):
And, like I was always saying,with the first record, we kind
of realized what we were in themiddle of it and then got a
little bit lucky that it allworked out in the end, um, but
like this record, we get tostart kind of knowing, um, the
kind of thing that we want tomake, um.
So I'm really excited to forpeople to hear it.
And, yeah, we're in the roadagain in the spring or in like a
(19:59):
couple weeks.
Yeah, canada and the us for thenext like couple months.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Yeah right on, right on, and could you give us a
little window into the newrecord is are you, are you going
for something differentsounding or are you maintaining
staying close to your roots fromthe first?
Niko (20:19):
it's definitely.
There's definitely likedifference in sound and like
some of the ways, but I think itis meant to be even like from
the album cover idea to likeit's meant to be like a
continuation, slash, cap, um,the first record since that
since, because I felt like werealized in the middle of first
record, none of it was like itwas like realizing what we were,
(20:39):
and like the second record'slike putting a staple on that
and like like you know it, Idon't.
I don't feel like it's time forus to like shift completely.
It feels like it's like time tolike just lock down on like a
bunch of songs that just makesense and can like get through
it.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Yeah, and were the songs that are coming off the
new record?
You started writing those likein 2024, or are they also a
compilation from you know pastyears?
Niko (21:08):
for the most part it's after 2024.
A lot of songs.
You know much more songs about.
You know travel related and youknow hot air balloons and
planes and because there's a lotof traveling is yeah, yeah, I'm
very excited for it right on,right on.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Well, I wish you all the best.
Um.
Thanks for putting this recordout.
It is it's been one of myfavorite listens in a while, so
I really appreciate it and Ireally hope I'll get to run into
you when you come throughmontreal.
Um yeah, I look forward toseeing you guys that energy on
stage.
Niko (21:44):
Yeah, that's cool yeah, please come say hi thanks for
having me yeah, thanks, so muchSickness Brought you to your
parents.
colleyc (22:06):
A life of only errands Won't make her full of love, and
your teeth hurt more than Thanthe day before.
It's time to get another job.
Four feet between a wall and adome, break your wife for widow,
(22:34):
so throw the gun with the round.
With the round blade.
The truth is hard to tell.
So we'll be waiting here tillsundown.
(22:57):
Save the hope that comes.
Now We'll stand away from it.
For me, between a wall and astone, four feet between the
(23:25):
walls, don't make sure I move iton.
Don't throw your heart.
Don't make me feel like I'm in,watch it.
I feel like I'm in.
Don't throw your heart.
And it feels good.
(23:59):
Where we've been, where we gofrom here, I let it all slip
away.
Where we've been, where we gofrom here, I let it all slip
away.
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