Nick Meaden shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Nick, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
What a question. From 2012 to 2022, I had been on a path of singing and writing songs with my guitar. From my first and second bands, to my own solo acoustic projects, I had practically based my life around it.
I hear it often, but once I got my first paid gig I started to lose my passion for what I had been doing. And that scared me.
I started making beats in early 2021, and that led into rapping. I had only been put on to Nas in 2019, and that led me down the whole 90’s hip-hop rabbit hole of artists that inspired me in a whole new way.
Long story short, I completely changed lanes musically in 2022. I had experienced overwhelming self-doubt about the change, and whether it’d be worth it or not. And I’m glad I stuck with it.
Fast forward to today, I’ve been putting out a song or project just about every month. My beats hit harder, my rhymes have more thought put into them, and I’m even experimenting with bringing the guitar back into the creative process. It was a process trying to find my voice in this new medium, the growth is undeniable even from just 6 months ago.
I’m still changing and learning myself daily, as corny as that can sound, but it’s true. I can’t wait to share some of these more larger, more conceptual projects in the near future.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name’s Nick. I go by Nick Meaden on Spotify and all that. I’m a musician, but you might call me a rapper this past year or so. I make my own beats and treat my writing religiously, but you should check it out and make up your own mind. I’ve been releasing a lot of singles lately as well as an EP called “u smoke?”, but I’ve got a different type of project I’m currently working on. I don’t want to say too much about it ’cause it’s in the early stages, but so far I feel like this project has so much more personality in it. Even just the beats. It’s weird, and fun, and has a touch of psychedelia to it. Can’t wait to share it.
Other than that, I have my first headlining show at the end of the month at the Zuzu in Cambridge. Gonna have everybody out for that, it’s gonna be so much fun.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I’m pushing 26 now, and as an artist I’d like to think I’ve made an effort to stay in touch with my “inner-child” or whatever you want to call it. I think having the outrageous belief that I’d be something in music kept me going for years. And I don’t necessarily not believe that anymore, but I don’t need it like I used to. I’m just happy to have a creative outlet.
That doesn’t mean I don’t try to push my music, but at the end of the day I’m making this music for myself. Any resonance people find in it is just an amazing added bonus.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Unfortunately, I’m still in my head too much. I still get the voice in my head telling me how much easier it would be to just let go of that ambition and just focus on my happiness.
But, I can never seem to let it go. I think it’s just a part of the process, and the practice of overcoming that doubt has made me stronger. Even when the voice tells me to quit, I know that I’ve had this feeling before and that it ALWAYS passes.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
I think it’s important to have ambition, beyond just what can score you a good career. And I see too few people around me who actually know what they’re passionate about, or where to even start. I feel really lucky that I found something I love enough to dedicate myself to. Maybe I sound like an old man, but it seems harder than ever for people to find what genuinely excites them these days. That said, this just makes me appreciate my artsy friends all the more.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
I think it’s probably healthy not to get caught up in a what my “legacy” might be, but can I see how I could be misunderstood. I don’t think I have it in me to stick with one style or genre of music, and I have worried that it would make it difficult to build a cohesive brand. And it probably has, thinking back. But I don’t think I’m doing anyone any favors putting out music I don’t enjoy, so I’ve sort of just accepted the consequences and just hope it resonates with someone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/nickmeaden
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nick.meaden/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nick.meaden.3
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvgzhq3WhwCnjlKCVTXRRqw
Image Credits
Randy Taylor & Pop Punk Wine Mom
