Sam J Nicholson - Small Town Love
For somebody who has met Ringo Starr, supported Jurassic 5 and released multiple albums and E.Ps under different guises, twenty-one year old Sam J. Nicholson has already done lot with his life. He's a reasonably sized fish in a smallish city, swimming chameleon-like through the different scenes that Hobart, Tasmania has to offer. But he isn't done yet. With folk, pop, reggae and rock under his belt he is continuously looking forward to a different musical outlets. He spoke to us just after finishing his exams for the year. "I'm feel so happily manic." he says with a contagious exuberance that doesn't leave him for the entire interview.
He started on the streets busking, an experience that remains close to his heart. "It's the most manic performance ever. There are people walking past and you have to make them want to stop. You make fools of yourself until there are enough people so that there's a scene. If you convince five people that you're OK you can get fifty."
Eventually joined in this venture by college friend Tully Hansen, they started writing songs and after testing them out on the unsuspecting market goers, they gigged and released an album under the moniker Sam and Tully. The release had the dubious name of Scary, Awe Inspiring and Strangely Erotic. "We were trying to be funny...I guess." Nicholson says, without much conviction. So was Sam and Tully a comedy duo? He pauses and with a small laugh says, "I don't know."
Another of Nicholson's efforts was Attic Grooves: a reggae band which was active for about two years, culminating in supporting Jurassic 5 in Hobart on their final tour. "There was three of us originally. When we had our best gigs...there were nine of us. It was hard to keep the kids together. I was the parent who had to pick up the kids." They released the E.P Mixtapin' in November 2006 and broke up soon after.
As a solo artist, the only progeny that Nicholson has to deal with are his songs. In recent times, during his late night study routine befitting a typical uni student he juggles writing tunes with his assignments. "I'll always write three songs because if I write one song I get really critical and dislike it. But if I can have triplets I don't judge them." Putting on a mid-western suburban wife's accent he dotes "I love them all, be what you want to be." Nicholson is quite cagey and almost a bit dismissive about his solo material and is keener to discuss either Viva Computer, the rock band he's drumming for. Being a singer/songwriter is not his first love and does not seek the cathartic release of communicating the innermost emotions. It is not all about music for music's sake. "It's about people. It is such a wicked way to connect. That's why I really want to go travelling." Although he's not leaving the continent for the moment, there are mainland tours lined up both for him as Sam J. Nicholson and also with Viva Computer.
Earlier in the year he spent two full days at The Winter Palace, a local recording studio run by Anthony Rochester, recording his E.P, titled Smalltown Bank Robbers. The five tracks are all works of crafted acoustic pop on which Nicholson played guitar, drums and "subliminal messages". Rochester and variety of other musicians helped out with bass, strings and tambourine solos. Lyrically there is a loose theme of "things that are awkward in small towns", of which the two main contenders are "crime and love". He sings that "this town is too small for blowing up letter boxes" which could be a metaphor for living a city like Hobart where everyone knows everyone else but is also inspired by a story from his father's youth but "he doesn't like me telling it."
With the present and past dealt with, the constantly active Nicholson is looking into the future. One idea he has is to start emulating one his favourite groups and "becoming Hobart Style Council", putting out "Confessions of a Pop Group Part 2", referring to one the group's seminal albums. Another concept is to start a band with two drummers playing "lo-fi hard dance music.
With all these ideas floating around, it is hard to pin point Nicholson's niche. He admits to being a distracted musician, which can be partially attributed to his love for different musical styles and partially to his self-doubt. "As soon as I start pushing something, I think I should be doing something else, especially with my solo stuff. I'm wary playing my songs to my friends too much."
Sam J. Nicholson is somebody who designs his own future; a house that changes its facade, constantly and whimsically. No matter what he is playing: drums, guitar or subliminal messages, it will be a genuine and vivacious performance.
