UK based singer/songwriter NTHN is launching into the music industry with an incredibly unique sound. His interest in metal, hard rock, and hip-hop has fused together to created a dark and ambient sound. NTHN has been making music for years, originally only instrumentals, he gained the confidence the record his vocals in his newest single “The Forecast Warned Of A Storm” in order to connect with his fans on a deeper level.
“The Forecast Warned Of A Storm” is a smooth ambient hit with an arrangement of dark and precise synths and alluring vocals. His expansive music knowledge is evident an the production quality is polished. “The Forecast Warned Of A Storm” was recorded in the front room of NTHN’s house in Swansea, South Wales. The song is about NTHN’s struggle with being away from his family all alone in a seaside city. He uses the weather as a powerful metaphor for his fight with mental health and highlights the seclusion he’s felt over the last year. NTHN has done a spectacular job being vulnerable and that’s what it takes to captivate audiences and relate to with your fans on a personal level. My favorite lyric “If home is a feeling then I don’t get that here” because it beautiful describes what it’s like the be away from family because home is not where you live but where you feel loved and welcome. Bravo to you NTHN for being in tune with your emotions and for this awakening single.
Check out NTHN's latest single on Spotify, and continue reading for the artists interview.
Hello NTHN! Can you start by introducing yourself to our readers and telling us more about who you are as an artist?
Hey! I'm a producer from North West England and I try to make music that crosses various genres but always has a strong emotional undertone. I started learning guitar when I was 6 and that's where my interest in making music began. Then when I was older, my parents gave me a copy of Ableton Lite with a Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 as a gift one Christmas to encourage me to record my guitar. I did a few covers and things but then started to edit them and chop the samples, which got me really into producing my own music. That's how I developed my sound - my older tracks came from resampling and manipulating my own recorded guitar.
Nowadays, the music I make is more complex as I've grown as an artist but I'm still using a very similar approach! I make music which is a mix of ambient/cinematic sounds paired with hip hop percussion and lots of sampling. More recently, I've started add vocals as well!
How did you gain the confidence to put vocals to your music?
I've always had a lot that I wanted to express in my music and I've written lyrics and concepts down for as long as I've been producing music really - I've enjoyed writing for a long time but never felt confident in my ability to sing.
I guess what made me start to add vocals was just wanting to be able to add my thoughts to the creative process and hopefully be able to interact with the listener in a more personal way. I'm a big believer of the fact that you don't have to be a good singer to be a good vocalist - I dont think I'm a particularly good singer but I do have something to share. If people can relate then it's worth it!
You have such a unique sound! Who are you musical inspirations?
I have a really weird mix of influences! The main inspiration for the production comes from Clams Casino, Shlohmo and xxyyxx - they're all amazing producers who capture everything that I hope to achieve with my music. The mix of dark ambience with elements of hip hop and heavy sample use is something that I've always loved! I record samples all the time in my everyday life to use in my music and a lot of that came from this influence.
But then I'm also really inspired by hip hop, which has influenced the sample manipulation and percussion in my production and the style of the lyrics I write. I love 90s rap and I was inspired to first write lyrics after hearing the complex rhyme schemes and storytelling rap from artists like Nas, Biggie and Mobb Deep, plus newer artists like J Cole and early Kendrick Lamar.
Then the dark sound which tends to be pretty common in my music is likely inspired by my love for heavy metal and rock when I was younger - my favourite band is Deftones, so the kind of dark and swirly sounds come from listening to a lot of their music and early Bring Me The Horizon/Funeral for a Friend.
When you’re not making music, what do you do?
I'm currently studying a Master's degree in Swansea, South Wales (which is where I wrote/recorded all of my Tides EP) so a lot of my time is spent there studying! Other than that, I do a bit of volunteering, I love cycling and travelling. My undergraduate degree was in Spanish and I lived in Madrid for a year, so I love putting that to use and speaking to friends, watching films and listening to music in Spanish too.
How have you overcome some of the challenges you’ve faced in the music industry to get to where you are?
To be honest, my biggest challenge was finding the confidence to put my music out there. There are so many artists creating so many different styles, it was hard to build up the confidence to feel like it was worth adding mine into the world and pushing it further than just the hard drive of my laptop and showing a couple friends. My brother is a photographer so he was used to putting his art and work out there and really pushed me to do the same - I owe a lot to him for helping me to be more proud of what I create and encouraging me to share it!
Competition is tough. I find it really hard to reach people and find listeners who will be into my music but I think if you enjoy the whole journey it doesn't matter how successful you are. It's about just loving what you do and I'm having a great time with it!
What's next for you through 2019?
I've been working on quite a lot really! I've just released my Tides EP and I have a track coming out in May featuring a US rapper called Rayn. which I'm pretty excited about! Then I've got most of my next album finished, so hopefully I'll have that ready to release towards the end of summer. My main aim is to really settle into my own sound and find a way to fully incorporate my vocals into my previous instrumental style. I'm really going to work on improving my vocals now and gaining a bit more confidence to push myself beyond my limits, so we'll see how that goes!
Make sure to connect with NTHN via the artists Instagram!