Indiana's Indie Music Source
Artist Spotlight - Nicholas Howard
“Nicholas Howard’s music, if you have to give it a label, might be called Urban Soul. Urban, because he’s New York through and through…”
Zack Daggy: Where did you grow up and how did it influence your style?
Nicholas Howard: I grew up in Queens NY. Still live here today. The neighborhood that I grew up in was/is very diverse. When I was out in the street, I would be in contact with all walks of life, which I think, made me very open to the people and things around me. I think that’s what made me a life observer and a people watcher. Those interests coupled with the facts that I’m a very social person and always want to know what people are thinking and feeling and that I grew up in a very artsy household molded the way I think about and make music.
ZD: Where do you currently play?
NH: Currently NYC is my stomping ground, but I am trying really hard to get on a regional tour to expand my reach. NY is a great market and you could play here everyday if you wanted to, but I want to get out and share with the world.
ZD: What event in your life would you say has been the most defining moment for you? (Translation: You are where you are because…)
NH: I am where I am because my parents never gave up on me and never let me settle for less than exactly what I was looking for. I have a wonderful support system in those 2 people.
ZD: Have you always wanted a career in music or were there ever any other dream jobs along the way?
NH: After 9 years old it was always music. Before that I most wanted to be a veterinarian. I love animals, what can I say?
ZD: Who are your influences?
NH: Growing up, I listened to a lot of Beatles, Motown, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Elvis and a ton of 30s 40s and 50s blues. Hip-Hop in the late eighties and early nineties had a profound impact on my life and steered a lot of early music ambitions. I began producing music because of it.
ZD: What has been the coolest part about being an indie artist?
NH: Not having anyone telling you that you can’t do the music that you want to do. That being said, it is always good to keep trusted company that will give you an honest opinion about what they think of the stuff that you are doing.
ZD: What has been the hardest part about being an indie artist?
NH: Making an connection with the people that will truly love and support what you do without blanketing the whole population of the world with your multi-million marketing plan that doesn’t exist.
ZD: Tell me about your song “God Is In The City” and it’s origins.
NH: I live in NYC and I see people everyday that have come here to realize their dreams, and because of that, I believe that NYC (and many other metropolises) is a blessed place. It has become a Mecca for creative energy and big ideas, and so this song is really an ode to NYC and the people in it, chasing their goals.
ZD: If you could switch places with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?
NH: I’d switch with a beautiful woman, just to see what I could get away with.
ZD: Who would you most like to go on tour with if you could tour with anyone?
NH: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Erykah Badu, Common, Citizen Cope, Janelle Monae, Alice Smith. The list goes on……
ZD: What line from one of your songs best describes you?
NH: My hands are rough, at the end of the day, my hands are rough, from all work and no play, my hands are rough, what’s a man to do, jeans sweat-stained, shirt the same, feet are all black and blue.
Mothpod 134 – Something Completely Different
Mothpod 141 – There Will Be Music
Mothpod 143 (Available June 29th, 2009 at Mothpod.com)
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