Credit: Press
Credit: PressAt a young age, alt-pop artist Nick Vyner came across the wonders of music and never let go. In high school, he was originally working towards a career in classical music until he discovered the art of songwriting. With songwriting, Nick found a better way to express himself, and decided to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter after graduation. When he got to LA, Nick met the legendary music producer and drummer-extraordinaire Stanley Randolph, who produced Nick’s breakout single “Mood Swing” in 2020. Nick just followed up the release a few weeks ago with “Foundation,” which is helping to establish the new indie/alt-pop sound that he is creating for himself. We recently caught up with Nick to chat about the new singles, upcoming music, special collaborations, and Timothée Chalamet, as you do…
Hey Nick! Thanks so much for taking the time out for this. How is your spring going? Are you a fan of the warmer weather?
My spring has been really beautiful! I sort of thrive in this in-between state of hot and cold. Typically I like the cold weather better though, so I’m soaking up what’s left of it and dreading having to put my sweaters away for summer.
So in 2020, you released a few singles, but “Mood Swing” was the one that really took off. It went viral on TikTok and is approaching 2 million streams on Spotify, which is so wild! Could you tell us where the song came from and how you put it together?
That one began with the sample. Stanley Randolph and I were at his studio listening to old records one day and just having fun, which is usually when the best stuff happens. He put on the Baby Washington version of “I Can’t Wait Until I See My Baby” and after a few seconds of it playing, we looked at each other and grinned because we knew we’d found something special. We knocked that song out pretty quickly that same day and only made a few tweaks to it after.
Is there a lyric on “Mood Swing” that stands out to you or means the most to you?
It would have to be “I don’t really got time for a bold-faced lie and a good high.” That’s me talking directly to someone in my life. I do not think they know that!
Your latest single “Foundation” is your first release since “Mood Swing.” I saw that you were working on it for a couple of years with Luka Kloser and Jack Laboz – when did you all know that it was finally done and ready to be released?
Well, we started “Foundation” in the fall of 2020 in the middle of quarantine. We created it over a long Zoom session. Funny enough, at that point, we had never met in person. Luka and Jack are so talented and we all just clicked immediately. Then we left the song alone until late last year, where we got back together again over Zoom. I’d say we started feeling like it was close this past December, and decided to “call it” around mid-January of this year. We probably could have continued adding to it, but you gotta know when to say when.
We definitely hear more of a new sound from you on “Foundation” that also comes through on “Mood Swing.” Will your future releases lean more in the indie/pop direction of these tracks?
I wish I could just attach my next single to answer this question, but in simple terms, yes.
How much new music can we expect from you this year?
If things go my way, a LOT. Like most artists, I spent all of quarantine working on music in my bedroom studio. So, I have a ton of unreleased songs that I’m finishing up and getting ready. I also have some that I made soon after arriving in LA, and I’ve been revisiting those and freshening them up. Actually, my next release is a song called “Flood” that I made with my good friend, Casey Malanuk. Casey’s a great producer and singer/songwriter who I’ve known since before I moved to LA. He’s actually the reason I decided to move here instead of going to that nice little music school in Boston. I’ll be dropping “Flood” in early May.
You collaborated with Yung Bae on the track “Cool With Me” from his latest album. Could you tell us more about the concept of the song and how you two got connected?
Sure! To me, that song is about keeping yourself and your circle protected when you’re in a new environment. Yung Bae and I connected on the internet, as most people do these days. He sent me the instrumental while I was at my day job. I listened to it on a break and thought it was fire. I couldn’t wait to get off work so I could dig into it. The lyrics came pretty quickly, I wrote them in an hour or so and then came home and recorded it that night.
Stanley Randolph has been a frequent collaborator in your career so far. What is your favorite part about working with such an icon?
That’s tough! There are too many to pick a favorite, but the standouts are his knowledge, his experience, his talent, and his kindness. He’s also just a really down-to-earth guy and is all about the music and the collaboration. I was incredibly fortunate to be introduced to Stanley when I first moved out to Los Angeles by a really good friend, Chris Pat, who is also an amazing drummer from Memphis. Without Stanley, I probably wouldn’t be talking to you right now! He’s the best drummer alive and he’s a wizard behind the computer, too.
What was the last album you listened to?
I’ve been listening to Faye Webster’s Live At Electric Lady album on repeat for weeks now. Also the new Black Country, New Road album. It’s so good. I love good music!
I read on your website that you aspire to make music that serves as a soundtrack to your life. If you had to choose a movie genre, like action or comedy or drama, what kind of genre would best suit your life?
I often feel I’m surrounded by the funniest people alive, so I’m gonna go with comedy. I’d love to shoot it as a horror film though. It’s funny you ask this question because after music, movies are where I spend most of my time. I watch movies all the time. Last year I think I watched a movie almost every day!
Who would you cast to play you in the movie version of your life, or would you want to play yourself?
Let’s go with Chalamet. Poor kid. Seems like he’s really hurting for work. I don’t know if the best strategy is to cast someone better looking than you so people associate you with that or to cast someone not so good-looking, so that when people see you, it’s a pleasant surprise.
Thanks again for your time! Do you have any final comments or shout-outs?
Drink some water and be kind to yourself. Shout-out Houston, Texas.
Credit: Press
