Nick Swift: More to the Story

Taylor Harrington 6/9/2021 4:03pm EST

Hailing from Austin, Texas, singer-songwriter Nick Swift knows exactly how to get a crowd moving. The Texas native brings a soulful yet edgy and fun sound, but if you listen closely, you might just learn something from his music as well. Swift’s latest single, “MEN”, is introspective and poses the question, “if boys don’t cry, what about men?” 

Swift has traveled the country with his band, Nick Swift Band, and he says he can’t wait to get back on the road again. Find Nick Swift’s latest single, “MEN”, everywhere music is available and follow @nickswiftband on Instagram to stay up to date live performances!

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We are here today with the extremely talented Nick Swift. Thank you so much for being here today, Nick. Nick is a musician out of Austin, Texas and we’re just going to learn a little bit more about his story today. How did you get your start in the music world?

Well, I was initially I was going to school for biology. I was going to become a scientist. Then I realized I was playing music all the time and I was so much happier doing that. Maybe not happier, but it made me very happy, so I changed lanes and started doing fulltime music in Austin in about 2012, and have been trying bands out and playing all around here ever since. In the start I was meeting friends in Austin and learning from older people that had been playing in bands and lived here for a long time and I would study them.

Can you name any of your musical influences from around Austin?

Definitely, yeah. I would say when I first got here, Shakey Graves is one of the first artists that was really blowing up. He was starting with solo shows and then just took off. One of the first people was definitely Shakey. There were also a lot of friends that weren’t neccesarily on the scene or really known.

When was the first time you picked up a guitar?

Oh, geez. When I was probably 11 or 12, maybe?

Did you take guitar lessons somewhere or were you the kind of person that could just kind of pick it up figure it out?

I took some lessons and I liked the lessons, but I kind of grasped concepts and just went off and did my own thing, so the lessons weren’t really for me. I went on to work at kids music camps, so I like teaching and I like being around it, but I learned more off my own playing and researching on my own then going out and hearing people and learning from that.

Are you the the main writer of all your music and lyrics?

Yes, I pretty much write all of it. Then I bring the ideas and concepts to the band and that’s just kind of how it’s been working lately. It’s been different processes throughout my career, but lately, that’s making things a little bit more streamlined and efficient for me. I can sit with a producer and just do it myself and then come up with a really cool concept and then go to the band. The band is then able to tap into it and help take it to a different place. Now that COVID lockdown is over we’re getting together more and I foresee us creating more in a group setting.

That’s so exciting! What have you put out recently, or what projects can we be looking out for from you?

I have a brand new song coming out on June 9th, it’s called “MEN” and the tagline is, “If boys don’t cry, what about men?” It’s kind of introspective and a deep concept, but it’s still fun, soulful, and upbeat. We’re trying to do a video for “MEN” right now, which is challenging with COVID rules, but we want to have a video for it. There are other projects that I have released, so go check them out and listen.

I love everything about your music and style. Anybody listening to your music can tell that you are digging deeper into the thought process that goes into your music and your songs. Where can people find you performing around Austin?

I would say my number one spot is Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Icehouse. We call it WTF, and it’s on West Sixth Street. It’s in the middle of a bunch of clubs and DJ experiences, which is great. With live music making a resurgence here, there’s a line out the door and it’s just very juxtaposed there, and I like that. The venue is just so supportive of music, it’s almost scary. Austin Talley is one of the main guys that runs WTF, and they are so, so supportive. We often play at Rustic Tap. We like to play there because it’s outdoor– there’s crawfish, you can eat, and you can dance outside. We also play at Armadillo Den, and I really enjoy that venue. It’s down south in South Austin, and it’s got oak trees and a rolling hill area and an outdoor stage. It’s really beautiful. Then obviously, the Empire Control Room. That’s the best sound, stage, lights and smoke, and the whole thing.

How can people follow you to stay up to date with your music and event dates?

I think the best way to follow is on Instagram I am ashamed to say. It’s the one medium that I selected to just go in on, but before COVID I was taking trips around the country and I was playing in all different cities like Chicago, Seattle, LA, and New York. It’s been really interesting to travel around the country and just get the same loving, super happy, joyful people that are just experiencing music and having a great time with it, and it’s not just Austin. It’s everywhere.

There is something so powerful about the live music experience.

You can either add to the really joyful energy and get up and dance and be into it or you can be too cool, but when you do that you’re not adding to the energy and it’s a big, big, big energy ball we’ve got going that you can add to.

Amazing! Follow Nick Swift at @NickSwiftBand on Instagram, and I’m sure you can find his music on all streaming platforms. His new single, “MEN” is available June 9th.

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