nasmore Teams With Cris Hodges & Neil Taylor For New EP
The ever-collaborative methods of artist/producer nasmore and his chameleon-esque approach to the art of making music have seen his songs find incredible success in a stunning variety of different styles over the course of the past year. As he surges into 2022, he’s returned with a slice of Stadium Rock.
Recently, nasmore had struck gold when working with vocalist Cris Hodges, carving out a series of unique epics. Still, on his new single, he’s pushed the partnership even further, adding to their winning formula with the howling guitar of Neil Taylor. His playing on ‘Tears for Fears’ album Songs from the Big Chair, including “Everybody Wants To Rule the World,” is part of music history. A former member of new wave legends Tears for Fears and Robbie Williams band and a long-term collaborator with stars like Tina Turner, Chris De Bourgh, and Natalie Imbruglia, Neil wastes little time in making his contribution to the new song heard, lashing out with fierce guitar licks that perfectly mingle with Cris’ rough, expressive vocals.
Designed with grippingly powerful dynamics that morph and transition with surgical precision through brooding moodiness, melodic serenity, and live-wire instrumentation & vocals that crank out heat hot enough to melt your speakers – “When Will I Learn” burns the bridges between the past & the present.
The album comes with a music story that immerses the listener into the song’s world full of mystery, wisdom, and feelings. Twisting through a story expertly crafted as only a songwriter like nasmore can, no quarter is spared in telling a tale of the harsh reciprocal effects of karma. From devastating emotions to insightful lyricism that details a genuine yearning for there to be more to life than there is, nasmore’s penchant to dare to tackle issues & themes that others are afraid to address directly makes songs like “When Will I Learn” hauntingly relatable as they are. Fueled by fired-up musicianship, including a sensational guitar solo via the talents of ace axe-man Neil Taylor and serious punch added into every syllable sung by Cris Hodges making another appearance in nasmore’s rapidly growing catalogue, their skills combined together as one creates an epic experience so vivid, sensory & real, that it’s more than memorable – it’s like you lived it.
Musically, the new cut is a hard-rock epic in every sense, delivering a titanic mix of all three artists’ talents and styles. Pushing boundaries with an anthemic sound that layers evolving atmospherics with melodic backing and fierce guitars, ‘When Will I Learn’ is emotive, arena rock at its absolute best.
A well-crafted post-grunge cut that is fresh, fierce, and wonderfully relatable, “When Will I Learn” is an anthem for anyone fighting with loss, regret, and remorse. Arriving as a seminal new addition to nasmore’s ever-growing catalogue, “When Will I Learn” is a sensational EP with the power to fill stadiums, win hearts, and have a crowd of thousands holding out their lighters and singing along in celebration.
Watch the video for “When Will I Learn” below, and learn more about nasmore via our mini-interview.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
It started one day in 2020 with me asking myself, “what am I doing today?” and then answering, “maybe I should play some music today.” Two years after, I’m still playing. So, today nasmore is a songwriter and music producer. I partner with some fantastic music professionals and am quite adventurous. I love to explore new musical avenues. That led me to develop a taste for diversity and experimentation, blending all the best elements of pop, hip-hop, indie rock, R&B, and classical music. I love writing songs that are eccentric and moody, romantic and lovely, or dark, intense, eerie, and poignant.
What’s it like being a musician in Regina, SK?
The music stage here is quite small compared to music Meccas like Toronto or Vancouver. But it doesn’t really matter since I’m mostly operating within the digital space. And when it comes to music production and collaborations, today’s technology allows you to be virtually anywhere and work with your partners remotely. We all come from different places. Cris Hodges comes from California, Neil Taylor is in UK, Chris Egert (our brilliant sound engineer) is in North Carolina, Maltesse is in Italy, Ryan lives in Spain, and I am in Canada.
How did you end up collaborating with Cris Hodges and Neil Taylor?
When I first heard Chris singing, I knew immediately that his vocal features were full of potential, and they offer a remarkable range. It is rough and gritty, with a weighty level of expressiveness needed for my songs, but sometimes, he may sound like Michael Jackson, if need be. And outside of his vocal features, he is a pro. He is a songwriter who would bring his own views to my sound. So I offered him to record vocals for my first track, then another, and another. Cris is a pro, and I don’t need to go hours and hours polishing every bar.
About Neil…I was very excited when I approached Neil to record some guitar layers on one of my songs, and he said he would love to work on it because my music is like fresh air or fresh blood. Neil is a music business veteran and even part of music history for his guitar solo on “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears. He was a regular member of Robbie Williams’ band and worked with many artists, including Tina Turner, Howard Jones, Chris de Burgh, Natalie Imbruglia, Metallica, and James Morrison, to name a few. Parallel to that, Neil released a few beautiful albums on his own.
Working with Neil is a great experience; it seems like he knows exactly where my mind is regarding this or that part of the song. We had a few songs where he recorded all the guitar layers, and now we are working on a few pieces where Neil is the lead singer. His voice is quite unique, and I’m super excited about our upcoming releases.
Who was the first artist to knock you sideways?
I can’t remember particularly the first one. I think it was Pink Floyd.
But I know the two that are pretty high on my list. Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell with their “No time to die.”
Absolutely genius piece! Brilliantly written, brilliantly performed.
What’s the one album by a Canadian artist that everyone should have in their collection?
I would suggest checking out the “Explosions” by Three Days Grace.
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